Customer Reviews

Gabbeh

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Wow! The saturated color is thrilling in this naive, if somewhat obscure, movie.

Following backward through the courtship and lives of an old couple, the director presents a tale of passion and verve. The quavery voice of the old man charms as he drifts from chiding his wife at one moment to trekking happily back though time with her. His dotage is both comic and touching. She is well drawn, fulfilling her duties, with a mixture of love and chagrin.

Weaving is the allegory central to this tale, and it is used deftly at many levels: thus the character "Gabbeh". She is both the personification of the carpet which the old couple are washing, as the carpet is indeed representative of the tapestry which their life has become. The word Gabbeh also refers to the kind of course and colorful carpet woven by the Qashqa'i nomads in this story, and the girl, "Gabbeh", is also the woman as a youth. And yet for all this twining, it is a simple story of powerful longing, set in contrast to the breathtaking landscape, and to the daily acts of work and duty. In one scene, the loving and lovelorn uncle, (played by a man known not for acting, but for his talent as a real-life dyer) cries out "Life is color!" Gabbeh replies, "Love is color!"

The longing for love is universal, as is the twarting of it by convention and duty. Well worth seeing, if for no other reason than to get acquainted with a very ancient people, in a very ancient land. But the color . . . wow!

The Gabbeh or 'life rug' is the key to this love story set in the Iranian Steppes. The rugs look simple and have a childlike quality, and yet demand a high level of skill and awareness of every member of the nomadic tribe that makes them. No detail of a life is left out, and yet the end result is a pleasing, cohesive whole. The video, too, has a simple, childlike quality. It is subtitled 'Life is colour'. There is delight in colour for its own sake: from the simple joy of the primaries to exquisitely subtle shades and hues. Though firmly rooted in the reality of traditional nomadic life, the characters have the universality of archetypes and their story the quality of a fairy tale. The video is readily accessible to viewers of all ages, for each person will be drawn to what is relevant to them in the rich array of themes. This is an extremely well-crafted video and one that in my view would bear watching over and over again. I wore out the freeze frame and rewind buttons on my machine just to dwell on the beauty of frame after frame after frame.

Is it racist to insist that this is the most beautiful film I have ever seen? I say racist, because much of 'Gabbeh''s symbolic texture was obscure to me, and concentrating on aesthetics may seem to rob a film of its political force. That it is political is shown by its being banned in Iran - Makhmalbaf's hiding behind 'allegory' cannot disguise his impassioned look at poverty, the oppressiveness of tradition, and the loneliness of women. This is a film full of nature's marvel, that shows how 'nature' is too often used to justify social repression - as the teacher's lesson demonstrates, if the creation of the carpet (the gabbeh) is the equivalent of an act of nature, than those systems justified as natural (e.g. patriarchy, the family) are merely created.

Iranian films are known for their simplicity and poetic beauty and Gabbeh is no different. Gabbeh is another gem by the renowned Iranian film maker Mohsen Makhmalbaf. Gabbeh is a persian rug hand woven by women of Iranian tribes. The film tells the story of one such gabbeh(rug) and the story depicted in its colorful weaves about a woman, also named Gabbeh. The film tries to show her sufferings and how she fails to unite with her lover who has been following her for years and seasons.

Gabbeh is a beautifully simple yet deceptively complex film and i would rather recommend more than one viewings to get in depth of the story and the characters. First viewing is bound to confuse the audience. Whether this girl "Gabbeh" really exists?? Or is it just a fantasy of the old man and woman washing the rug?? These are few of the questions that will be answered once you delve deeper in the breathtakingly beautiful world of Gabbeh!!

Gabbeh is a must see for any film buff looking for meaningful and great cinema. Also recommended Abbas Kiarostami's "Taste of cherry", "The wind will carry us", Majid Majidi's "Color of paradise", "Children of heaven" and Makhmalbaf's "The cyclist".

I just watched this movie, and I loved it. The scenery and filming were beautiful. The subtitles were well written, and I could sense the poetry of the original Farsi, even knowing nothing of the language. This is a movie full of subtlety and metaphors--although it can be enjoyed just for the surface beauty, the story does lead one to contemplate, and I agree with the first reviewer that a second viewing is in store.
I bought this movie used, and was amused that there is a "youth restricted viewing--must be 17 or older" sticker on it. I guess that's due to the "forbidden passion" mentioned on the back of the box. However, the passion of this story is of the fairy-tale or old-fashioned kind; there is absolutely no sex, nudity, or anything offensive of any sort!
I would recommend this movie for anyone who loves a magical story. Don't be put off by the subtitles--they're simple and sparse, and well-written.

'Gabbeh' is subtitled 'Life is Color.' The story is simple, naive even. But don't get the idea that it's boring or lifeless. Passion runs strong in this story which interweaves the Gabbeh, a seemingly coarse and childlike colorful carpet, the love story of the elderly couple who are washing it in a stream and the nomadic life. All this is set against a breathtakingly beautiful landscape. The use of color throughout is amazing!

For those wishing to capture the essence of the traditional Persian people including their humour, devotion, and gentleness contrasted with their acquiescence toward traditional family mores, this is a must see. The cinematography is exceptional and an uplifting feast for the eyes.

Visually and aesthetically this film took my breath away. The metaphor and allegory are wonderful. The characters are recognizable and universally human.

One of the most beautiful films I have seen from a heap of four or five thousand, this is a visually gorgeous film that unveils in front of viewer's eyes like a fairy tale of such beauty and innocence that is virtually unfathomable to the jaded mind and missing soul of the decadent western post-modern world. "Gabbeh" is of those films in which one recognizes one's true yearning, the sense of being at home, even if in such "distant" and "fantastic" realm.
The great Makmalbaf is one of the five or six most brilliant living film-makers.

Some movies are meant to be shared with everyone; Gabbeh is the movie I have recommended to friends and family. The visual and intellectual aspects are sheer poetry on the same level as Elvra Madigan. A deceptively simple story, it is complex and worth examining time and again. I can't wait for my granddaughter to be old enough to enjoy it with me.